Local Football Players Prepare for WFCA All-Star Classic

Local Football Players Prepare for WFCA All-Star Classic

07/18/2013 06:43 PM

Before heading to college, local football standouts are preparing for one final "high school game."

Some of our area's finest high school
senior football players from last season have been practicing in smoldering
temperatures this past week preparing for the 37th annual WFCA
All-Star Classic Saturday at UW-Oshkosh.

It may not sound like an ideal ways to
spend part of the summer, but these soon to be college students see the silver
lining.

"The main thing was to raise
money for the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin," says former Kimberly QB Ben
Diedrick who will play at St. Cloud State next season."That's the number one reason why I signed up
and wanted to do this and I am pretty sure that's why everyone else wanted to
do it.We raise a great amount of money
for this."

Last year a record of $369,720 was
raised for Children's Hospital and organizers say this year will top that.

It's a cause close to Waupaca Grad
Beau Ash's heart.His older brother went
through the Children's hospital network, but this week also serves another
purpose for the future UW-Oshkosh running back.

"It's really cool just getting that
first grabs on the field, first grabs at the campus," Ash said."Just going around and having fun with the
guys.It's giving me a really good start
to see what the college life is going to be like."

Most of the players practicing at
Titan Stadium this week are also preparing for college football careers, but
that's not the case for Preble grad Jake Wallenfang.Wallenfang was headed to Michigan Tech to
play football, but after a record-setting performance at the WIAA State Track
and Field Meet, he was offered a chance to run sprints and pole vault at the
University of Wisconsin.

"I didn't realize until last
month that this would be my last football game," Wallenfang said while getting
a little choked up."It's going to be
tough walking off the field, taking off the shoulder pads for the last time,
but you can't play football forever.It's
going to be tough; I love everything about football.It will definitely be tough to give it up,
there will be tears, I will tell you that."

It's that passion for the game that
was another huge push for players like Wallenfang to participate in the
All-Star Games Saturday, even if that means teaming with former rivals..

"You grow up four years disliking
everyone that doesn't have the same sticker as you,"

says Diedrick."Then all of the sudden
that sticker is on your helmet."

"We're supposed to hate
Southwest, we're supposed to hate De Pere," adds Wallenfang. "Now I have a De Pere sticker on my
helmet.It's fun to come down here to
see enemies become friends and work together."

Despite the torrid temperatures that
former Green Bay Southwest cornerback Bryan Tomaszewski described as "awful,"
putting in all this effort for charity makes it worthwhile for everyone
involved.

"We know what's at stake and we know what we're doing it
for," Tomaszewski said.